Undergraduate Gender Diversity and the Direction of Scientific Research

Francesca Truffa and Ashley Wong

American Economic Review, 2025, vol. 115, issue 7, 2414-48

Abstract: Can diversity lead to greater research focus on populations under-represented in science? Between 1960 and 1990, 76 all-male US universities transitioned to coeducation. Using a generalized difference-in-differences design, we find that coeducation led to a 44 percent increase in gender-related research publications. This increase is driven by research focused on female subjects and gender differences. While coeducation led to a compositional shift with more women and researchers interested in gender topics, much of the increase comes from male incumbent researchers shifting their research focus toward gender-related topics. The results support interaction with more diverse students and peers as key underlying mechanisms.

JEL-codes: I23 J16 O31 O34 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1257/aer.20221561

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